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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · fork · band · wax · jam · tube · club · pitch

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. file — a document
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitch — completely
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — in a road
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. file — a tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — for dancing
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com